The present invention relates to a mounting structure for two abutting structural panels, in particular glass panels, by which said two panels may be connected with each other.
In a prior art, two laterally abutting structural panels are connected with each other by pairs of clamping plates comprising two plane clamping plates between which the two adjacent lateral edges of the two structural panels are clamped so that the two panels are fixed to each other.
In another prior art, two abutting structural panels are connected by two L-shaped planar clamping plates which are arranged opposite each other, with each of the structural panels being arranged and clamped between one pair of opposing legs of the L-shaped clamping plates.
Two angularly arranged structural panels are conventionally connected by clamping said panels between two angularly formed clamping plates. Said clamping plates are formed by joining two clamping plate portions at a predetermined angle by welding so that an angular clamping plate is formed which defines two clamping planes. Thus, it is necessary to prepare clamping plates having the required angle, and to provide them at the site of assembly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure of the initially described type whose manufacture is relatively easy and inexpensive. Preferably, the mounting structure of the present invention is to be used for structural panels, and in particular glass panels, which are arranged at an angle.
According to the present invention, a mounting structure which may be used for connecting two abutting structural panels, in particular glass panels, with each other comprises two pairs of clamping plates, with one pair of said clamping plates being fixed to one of the structural panels, and the other pair of clamping plates being fixed to the other structural panel, so that each of the two structural panels is clamped between the two clamping plates of the respective pair of clamping plates, with the two pairs of clamping plates abutting against each other with one of their clamping plates, and the two abutting clamping plates being provided with mutually aligned, undercut longitudinal slots which receive a connecting plate connecting the abutting clamping plates with each other and being fixed to the two clamping plates by means of fasteners which extend through said connecting plate.
Preferably, all individual clamping plates of the pairs of clamping plates are of identical cross-sectional shape so that they may be arbitrarily used and interchanged with each other, with their lengths differing in accordance with the particular application. The clamping plates which have an undercut longitudinal slot formed in their surface facing away from the clamping surface are formed as extruded sections, or rolled profiles. The clamping plates may be cut from the sections or profiles to any appropriate lenght. Each of the structural panels and clamping plates comprises at least one through opening through which a locking screw may be inserted so that a clamping connection is established between the two clamping plates and the structural panel arranged therebetween. In the clamping plates, said through openings are preferably formed within the undercut longitudinal slot, and are designed as longitudinal openings so that possible dimensional deviations of the openings in the structural panels may be compensated for during assembly of the clamping plates with the panel. Thus, it may be ensured that the outer edges of the clamping plates and the respective structural panel are flush with each other, even if the opening in the panel was not manufactured with sufficient accuracy. The head of the locking screw and the associated nut are formed such that they are flush with the respective outer surface of the clamping plate, and that their top surfaces do not protrude from the outer surfaces of the opposing clamping plates. After a pair of clamping plates has been mounted on each structural panel, the panels may be connected with each other by inserting one end of a connecting plate into the undercut longitudinal slot of one of the two clamping plates, after which said end is fixed in this slot, so that the other, free end of the connecting plate protrudes from said slot and thus from the edge of the structural panel. Then, the second structural panel may be abuttingly connected with the first panel by inserting the free, protruding end of the connecting plate into the longitudinal slot of one clamping plate of the second panel so that the two clamping plates abut against each other. The two abutting structural panels are connected with each other when the connecting plates in both abutting clamping plates are fixed by means of fasteners extending through said connecting plates. The mounting structure according to the present invention comprising the pairs of clamping plates with mutually aligned longitudinal slots may be easily and cost-effectively manufactured, and may furthermore provide for a simpler assembly of abutting structural panels.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two abutting clamping plates are each provided with at least two mutually aligned longitudinal slots so that the two abutting clamping plates, and thus structural panels, may be connected by means of two connecting plates to provide a more stable connection of the two structural panels, if necessary. The clamping plates may also each be provided with three longitudinal slots to be mutually aligned. In this case, a connecting plate connecting the clamping plate with the respective structural panel may for example be inserted in the uppermost and lowermost pair of mutually aligned slots, whereas the intermediate pair of slots comprises the through openings enabling the clamping connection of the pairs of clamping plates with the respective structural panel. Depending on the size of the abutting structural panels, two or more pairs of adjacently arranged clamping plates may be provided at the structural panels.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the two pairs of clamping plates are arranged such that a lateral end wall of each clamping plate of each pair abuts against a lateral end wall of a clamping plate of the other pair, and both clamping plates of each pair are provided with undercut longitudinal slots to be aligned with the slots of the abutting clamping plate and wherein connecting plates are fixed by means of fasteners.
According to another embodiment of the mounting structure of the present invention, the abutting clamping plates are arranged such that their longitudinal slots are in transverse or longitudinal alignment with each other, with an angle being included between them, and the connecting plates are formed accordingly to have an angular shape. By means of the mounting structure comprising said clamping plates, it is possible to connect abutting structural panels at any desired angle so that the structural panels received between the clamping plates may be assembled at different planes, which preferably include an angle in the range between 30xc2x0 and 160xc2x0. The structural panels are connected with each other as described above, with only the connecting plates requiring an angular shape. The connecting plates may be bent to the required angular shape directly at the assembly site so that welding operations as required by prior art clamping plates are no longer necessary.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, both clamping plates of one pair of clamping plates abut against one and the same clamping plate of the other pair of clamping plates. In this embodiment, the first pair of clamping plates may for example be arranged at the centre of the lower end wall of a structural panel, and the two clamping plates of the second pair may for example be arranged in perpendicular alignment with one of the clamping plates of the first pair, with the longitudinal slots of the abuttingly aligned clamping plates being in transverse alignment with each other. The two clamping plates of the second pair are each connected with the clamping plate of the first pair by means of a rectangularly formed connecting plate. This clamping plate arrangement enables the connection with each other of two perpendicularly arranged structural panels. Further, a third pair of clamping plates may be arranged in perpendicular alignment with the other clamping plate of the first pair of clamping plates, so that a third structural panel may be connected perpendicularly to the first structural panel. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for four-wing revolving doors, for example. It is further possible to arrange several pairs of clamping plates so that they abut against and are perpendicular to one and the same clamping plate of the first pair of clamping plates. The mounting structure according to the present invention having pairs of clamping plates with mutually aligned longitudinal slots may be used for numerous combinations of abutting structural panels. Another advantage of the mounting structure according to the present invention consists in the fact that it enables the connection with each other of structural panels of different widths, since the connecting plates may be aligned with each other during assembly in accordance with the particular widths of the structural panels to be connected.
According to another embodiment of the mounting structure of the present invention, two pairs of clamping plates are arranged such that an end wall of one clamping plate of the first pair abuts against an end wall of one clamping plate of the second pair, whereas the other clamping plate of each pair abuts against one of the clamping plates of a third pair of clamping plates fixed on both sides of a further structural panel, with said third pair of clamping plates being provided with longitudinal slots in which connecting plates may be fixed so that the third pair of clamping plates may be connected with the two other pairs of clamping plates by means of said connecting plates. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for the assembly of three-wing revolving doors, for example, wherein any two structural panels are arranged at the same angle.
In contrast with the conventional mounting structure comprising preformed angular clamping plates, all the above described embodiments of the present invention may be easily adjusted to the particular case of need by bending the connecting plates to the required shape at the site of the assembly. The plane clamping plates may be provided as sections of several lengths, with the through openings for the locking screws being formed during the cutting of the sections. In all above described embodiments, connecting plates of one and the same shape may be used which merely have to be bent to the required angle.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, an angularly shaped connecting plate is provided with two recesses in its portion protruding from the undercut longitudinal slot of its associated clamping plate, in which recesses the two shoulders of the longitudinal slot of the other clamping plate may be received. The connecting plates may either be preformed with said recesses, or the recesses may be cut at the site of the assembly.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal slot of the clamping plate of the first pair of clamping plates against which the two clamping plates of a second pair are to be abutted is provided with recesses in its shoulders through which the leg of a corresponding angular connecting plate may protrude so that it engages said longitudinal slot. In this embodiment, one of the legs of a connecting plate is first inserted through said recesses into the longitudinal slot, and then longitudinally displaced within said slot to a position within the slot at which its entire length is covered by the shoulders of the slot, or at which the other leg of the connecting plate, which protrudes from said slot, abuts against the shoulders of the slot at the edge of the recess. Subsequently, one of the legs of a second connecting plate may be inserted through the recess into said slot, and longitudinally displaced within said slot in an opposite direction as compared to the first displacement, so that the two legs of the two connecting plates protruding from the slot, which were first adjacent to each other, may be arranged at a distance as required for the insertion of a pair of clamping plates having a structural panel clamped between them. The size of the recesses to be provided in the slots depends on the length of the legs of the connecting plates to be inserted, and the recess is designed such that two legs may be inserted through it, and that at least the major part of the length of the leg of the second connecting plate to be inserted will be covered by the shoulder of the slot. Preferably, said recesses are cut out from the shoulders as required at the assembly site.
However, it is also possible to provide clamping plates with mutually aligned longitudinal slots of different widths.
According to this embodiment, the legs of the angular connecting plates are also of different widths so that they match the width of the respective longitudinal slot. This is particularly advantageous for arrangements with transversely aligned longitudinal slots, since it obviates recesses in the shoulders of the slots and in the connecting plates.
The connecting plates are preferably clamped against the shoulders of the respective undercut slot by means of locking screws such as grub screws so that the free ends of the locking screws do not protrude from the outer surface of the clamping plate. However, it is also possible to provide the clamping plates with tap holes into which screws protruding from the connecting plate may be threaded so that the respective connecting plate is screw-fitted with the clamping plate.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the undercut longitudinal slots of at least one of the clamping plates of a pair of clamping plates are provided with mounting inserts, inserted supporting elements for the structural panels, hinges or the like.